Light wavelength selectivity of thick periodic structures was, historically, studied first in x-ray diffraction on crystalline solids. It was recognized that such selectivity arises due to the coherent addition of the light energy diffracted by individual layers forming precisely spaced stacks, such as that of the atomic layers of a crystalline lattice. The name of phenomenon, “Bragg diffraction,” was given in recognition of the studies of it performed by Bragg.
Later, largely the same behavior was observed during the diffraction of light at optical wavelengths on the acoustic waves of the appropriate frequencies created inside optically transparent solid media. Acoustic waves create a periodic modulation of the index of refraction of a dielectric material via perturbation of its density. As a result, an acoustic wave can be used to manipulate light based on its wavelength. Thus, it functions as a wavelength filter.
Acoustic perturbation, however, is of a temporal nature, and relaxes completely after its source is extinguished and with it disappears the filter. Long-lasting Bragg gratings were first utilized, perhaps, with the invention of full-color holography. It employed relatively thick films of dichromatic gelatins (DCG) for holographic recording of color-realistic images of 3-D objects by using lasers of different colors. Subsequent reconstruction of images with conventional white light sources became possible due to the wavelength selectivity property of volume Bragg gratings. However, to the inventors' knowledge, even though the wavelength selectivity of the volume Bragg gratings was the underlying mechanism that enabled white-light reconstruction of thick-layer DCG display holograms, their utility for separating, combining, or otherwise manipulating specific wavelengths of light with the intention of achieving practical device functionality has not been recognized.
Use of volume Bragg gratings (VBG) recorded in doped lithium niobate photorefractive crystals for filtering light at optical wavelengths was adopted in construction of solar and lidar filters used to isolate light at a particular wavelength from the broad band background. A principal issue, however, is that recording of such filters must be performed at the same wavelength at which the filter will subsequently operate. As a result, the use of these filters is limited to a very limited range of wavelengths where sufficiently powerful lasers exist. Furthermore, the list of appropriate recording materials is confined to two or three narrow classes of photorefractive materials, which often have physical properties that are unsuitable for their intended mode of operation. For example, no material is known to the inventors that would allow construction of practical functional fiber-optic devices that would utilize volume Bragg grating filters recorded at wavelengths in the range of about 800–1650 nm.
This drawback can be partially overcome in photorefractive lithium niobate crystals when a VBG filter is recorded through a different surface than that used for its operation. By using this approach, filters can be constructed in lithium niobate that can operate at wavelengths that are useful for practical photonic devices, such as, for example, fiber-optic devices. Nonetheless, this approach is still rather limited due to a number of factors. First, the usable wavelength range is limited to λop>n*λrec on the one side, and the near infrared absorption edge of the lithium niobate on the other. Also, for practical devices, the bandwidth of the filter Δλ is limited by the maximum refractive index modulation achievable in that material (or its dynamic range, Δn): Δλ<(λop)*Δn/2n. This factor substantially limits the usefulness of this type of filter. This approach also requires the use of at least two (and typically four) polished surfaces that are orthogonal to each other, which increases the complexity of the filter manufacturing process and its cost. Additionally, the wavelength of the filter is substantially fixed to the value determined by the angle between the recording beams in the holographic setup. As a result, the wavelength must be controlled precisely for any practical device and is, therefore, unique for a particular wavelength or information-carrying “channel” of light, which complicates the issues in manufacturing of these elements.